What Will ISO Certification Cost? Ask Your ISO Consultant!

If you are interested in ISO certification so you can sell your products on a much wider scale throughout the world, the first thing you need to do is consult with an ISO consultant. There is no way to determine exactly what certification is going to cost any individual business, because there is not one set price tag for everyone. The expenses that you may have to consider include:

- ISO consultant fees
- Implementation Costs
- Registration Fees
- Maintenance Expenses

The ISO consultant fees are at the top of the list, but only because they are typically the first expenses you come across. You need a consultant to help you analyze your business and come up with a quality management system that will not only pass for certification, but work with your budget and your company’s practices in the long run. If the initial process of developing a system is not done appropriately, then you will have problems all through implementation and maintenance.

Implementation Costs

The cost of implementing your new quality management system will depend on many factors, including:

- Company size
- Resources available
- Type of system being implemented
- Extent of change to be made
- Materials/machinery needed

There may be a variety of other expenses that come along. It just depends on the business and what you are trying to achieve. In some cases you may have to pay professionals to come in during the implementation process, while in other cases allocating your current employees to implement the system could be efficient.

Your ISO consultant will be able to help you keep the expense of implementation under control if they have worked with you from the beginning and know what your quality management system is all about.

Maintenance Expenses

Once your quality maintenance system is in place, you will need to keep the system efficient and functional for the long term. This will have its own expenses, though they should be manageable if you worked with a good ISO consultant in the development phase. The system should allow your company to improve quality and move into more markets, and eventually make money even with additional maintenance fees.

Again, the fees for maintaining a quality maintenance system vary from one business to another. It will depend on the system you have in place, the resources you have available to handle the work, and how you have set the system up. This is not a one-size-fits-all process, and the expenses for all stages of development will vary.

The only way to know more specifically what getting certified with an efficient quality management system may cost for your business is to work with an ISO consultant. They will be able to go over your business processes and help you come up with a system that is affordable while allowing you to pass for certification and improve quality for your customers.

When to Hire an ISO Consultant

There are several steps to preparing your business for ISO certification. You may be able to do a lot of the work on your own, but there are several key points where you might consider hiring an ISO consultant to make sure everything is done perfectly. This can make the difference between struggling to get certified and getting certified in a rather short period of time.

You also lose money the longer it takes you to get your business in line with a new quality management system. You have to pay employees to work on adjusting your practices and overseeing your operations, and there are other expenses that may come up depending on the type of management system required for your business. It is in your best interest to consider hiring an ISO consultant to keep the expenses as low as possible.

Quality Management System Development

The very beginning of the process when you are just starting to develop an efficient and affordable quality management system is the first time you may think about hiring an ISO consultant. The system has to meet with guidelines from the International Organization for Standardization or you will never become certified. It also has to be efficient for your company so you produce better products on a consistent basis.

You can also do a lot of cost control for your system if you know how to design it effectively. This is where the expertise of a consultant will come in very handy. They will be able to look at your business and all of your current processes and design a system that is effective for you and suitable for certification.

Setting Up and Implementing

It is one thing to come up with a quality management system on paper, but another to find the manpower, hours and resources to actually put it into action in your business. Your ISO consultant can become invaluable at this point in the process. They can help you get everything set up and in action without taking away from the daily operations of your business. After all, you cannot afford to shut down while the change is implemented, right?

Your consultant will have the knowledge to guide you on all aspects of implementation. Whether you have the manpower to put on the task yourself or need to hire professionals to come in and get it done faster, the ISO consultant will help you keep it affordable while moving the process along as quickly as possible.

Size Doesn’t Matter

It is often assumed that a really small business won’t need an ISO consultant because their quality management system will be so basic and simple that even a solo team could develop and implement it. This is not true. Developing a system for any company, regardless of size, can be time consuming and overwhelming. It must be developed and implemented just right if it is going to pass for certification.

Plus, there is a lot of documentation and paperwork required for ISO certification. Most business owners need help going through that, even for the smallest businesses!

The Role of SEO Consultants

Most people would probably be familiar with the word SEO or search engine optimization, however many would not have taken a second off their busy routine and actually research what SEO actually is and why is it being used so frequently all over the internet. The answer to this question lies in the recent inception of internet marketing. Marketing over the internet is common but complicated too. It has its own tricks which if followed are extremely helpful. Search engine optimization is a way through which firms try to increase and improve the visibility of their websites, articles and web pages on the popular search engines. This increases the likelihood of people clicking on those links and be routed to the respective pages. Not everyone would want to work in SEO hence there are professionals who take the responsibility of helping people and firms with their search engine optimization. These are the people who are commonly called SEO consultants.

SEO consultants have gained importance because of the wide spread use of internet marketing and its affiliated techniques. Articles and blogs are some of the easiest ways to route traffic onto a specific page and build customer interests. This can then be converted into potential opportunities and later an opportunity can be converted into the customer. This is one of the easiest ways in reaching new target markets and it is also a cost effective way to do so. SEO consultants are now charging handsome amounts for their services and are starting to become a lucrative profession. However, consultants also extend a helping hand to firms and companies to increase their profits with time.

These days there are many good SEO consultants in the market. Their popularity is guessed by the number of publications they make. Higher the number of publications, higher be the reputation of the consultant. Another way of figuring out the worth of any SEO consultant is by looking at the search engine ranking. Many search engines give rankings to articles and the links provided on web pages to different articles. Search engines formulate their top of the ranking lists by giving weights to different SEO attributes, and the ones which have the maximum number of attributes in their articles results in higher placement of the website, web page during the search.

Another important technique which SEO consultants employ is the keyword technique. Keywords are the words or phrases used in the articles. Many people often use search engines by searching with the help of keywords, so if an article or website contains more targeted keywords, it would be able to get a top position on the search engine. Higher keyword density in an article or a web page increases the chances of getting maximum hits for the article.

Taking help from SEO consultants definitely costs a firm or a company a few extra dollars, but they can help companies by creating new opportunities for a customer by maximizing their visibility.

Mobile App Consulting

Smartphones have become an everyday gadget for a huge number of people and these smart users are best targets for companies that are willing to expand their business. These phones provide a great entertainment platform for the users and the businesses can take advantage of these platforms to deliver something of value to the users and gain their loyalty in return. Mobile app consulting is an emerging field in the mobile app development industry as businesses are now on the lookout for developers who can create stunning applications and games for mobiles that can be monetized easily.

Why Does A Business Need Mobile App Consulting?

For several entrepreneurs, the internet era is just catching up with them. The idea of creating a website and popularizing it on the internet has become an important part of business marketing campaign. The entrepreneurs have slowly began to agree that establishing online presence is very important even if the potential customers are limited by their geography. Now, bombarding these business entrepreneurs with smartphone applications and using them for marketing can be too overwhelming. As an entrepreneur, you may not fully understand the concept of mobile application development and this is where the consultation companies can come to your rescue.

Mobile app consulting service will typically help you to understand how to garner the potential of mobile phone users. The smartphone users can never be separated from their phones and the advertising media that is always carried around by the potential audience should never go waste. Especially, if your business is a local business, how can you simply ignore phone users who are wandering just outside your office with a gorgeous smartphone that has so much potential for business centric apps and games? The consultation companies will decide on the mobile application development platform and come up with innovative ideas to develop mobile apps and games that can be used to establish your brand name.

Most of the phone app developers make money by monetizing their apps and the cost of the apps is usually low because most of the profit comes from advertisements about businesses and local news. Mobile app consulting is crucial because there are millions of apps and games in the smart phone market and in order for your potential audience to actually understand your business advertisements, they should be interested in apps and games first. Advertising and marketing through smart phones is entirely different from any other media, including the exploding internet medium.

Without mobile app consulting, you will be lost because only creative people who understand the mindset of gamers and smartphone users can actually develop interesting applications. Games are incredibly popular among smart users and it is the best way to market your business product or service. It is very easy to capture smartphone users if you are able to strike a chord with them through useful applications and engaging games. All it requires to get started is a brilliant idea and killer development skills and this is where mobile app consultation and development companies are required.

Hotel Consultants – What Makes a Good One

If you are looking to enter the hotel market, it may be wise to seek the advice from experienced hotel consultants. The hospitality industry is fairly complex even at the best of times, and it would be imprudent not to gather as much information as you can before making a decision that will inevitably involve a significant outlay of capital.

Hotel consultants act as your barometer for what constitutes a prudent investment. More specifically, they will guide you through the four primary stages of developing and eventually opening an establishment. In finding the right consultant for the job, it is important to ask yourself how well this person is equipped to effectively deal with each stage of the process. Experience, local market and industry knowledge, and communication skills are key identifiers you should be looking for in a top consultant.

First up, they will need to be well versed in the art of planning an accommodation facility. This includes securing financing, overseeing the design phase of the process, and managing construction. This may involve sourcing outside equity partners, and regularly updating the current and projected financial landscape of your investment. Your consultant is also there to facilitate clear and open communication at all levels of hotel management, to ensure that objectives are being met throughout the development process.

As the hotel moves into the middle stages of completion you will require pre-opening support, structuring the personnel framework and working towards an opening. It is important that you take on a hotel consultant who not only knows the industry, but knows the people in it as well. They will hopefully be able to assist you in finding a general manager who fits the mould of what you are trying to create. Once the perfect candidate has been found, and subsequently briefed on the expectations you and any other owners hold, you can then set about furnishing your establishment with competent staff from the top down. In many ways an accommodation establishment only runs as well as its staff, so hiring asset managers, interior designers, HR personnel and other employees is as crucial to your business as the actual furnishings themselves. A competent, knowledgeable hotel manager can help you achieve both ends.

As you become ready for a soft opening, hotel consultants will be on hand to ensure that all relevant insurances have been set up, and that ownership has all the information they need to effectively move forward. Once the hotel has opened, your consultant will act as a point of emphasis for your company ethos, communicating this to the entirety of your team. Moving forward, they will closely monitor financial performance, and remain a steadying influence on the big picture ambitions of your investment.

Global Asset Solution’s hotel asset management services & solutions ensure that your investment meets your ownership objectives.

7 Things to Look Out for in Accounting in 2017

Accounting plays a pivotal part in the operation of any business. If an accounting system is not up to the standard, you may start facing money crunch. For an organization to work smoothly, you must understand the essentials like the required costs, how much time is put in for making a product and what more should be invested in the business. If you fail to plan meticulously on these points, it is very unlikely that your business will expand. Conversely, if you have kept a track of the way, things are carried out and have a fair idea about its financial scenario, you will be able to stay ahead in the competition. There have been multiple changes over the years in accounting. Accountants have started adopting new trends that have given a boost to their income and also made their work easy to a great extent. Following list demonstrates the most-recent trends that have taken accounting industry by storm.

Shift to cloud accounting will increase

As more businesses are shifting to clouding technology to store data and cut down costs, cloud accounting is gaining importance. An emerging shift, this has set the path for enhanced cooperation among team members and given a better understanding of financial condition. This involves the use of software, which operates on server and can be accessed from anywhere through the Internet. This way, the data is available to employees and the accountant for use whenever required. It gives the accountant more transparency in work and also lets him/her keep checking on possible discrepancies.

Decentralization of accounting software

Earlier tasks such as generation of bills, reports, management of inventory and setting up a payroll system were all carried out at one place. However, more businesses are now opting for distribution of these tasks. The accounting field is making use of various applications for solving business issues with ease. These applications facilitate easy sharing of information. Decentralization has doubled the revenue for accountants as they integrate into multiple partnerships.

Automation will be an integral part of work

It eliminates manual data entry and thus reduces the burden of maintaining huge book records of years. It also reduces the chances of records being misplaced or tampered due to human negligence. This can be beneficial for small-business owners and entrepreneurs to a large extent. These tools promote effective communication between accountants and their clients and also help them deal with real time accounting problems.

Rise in social media strategy

Many businesses today prefer social media marketing of their products to increase their target audience. In the same way, use of social media strategy for accounting is also rapidly gaining attention as business owners are found more active on this platform. This trend has not only been picked up by major accounting firms but also has given entrepreneurs a better clarity to choose their accounting firm by getting an insight into the services offered. The accountants can market themselves by communicating to various people. It also enhances their exposure to new things and increases their visibility in the industry.

Increase in collaborative accounting

Although this is not which has been introduced recently, it is certainly giving new direction to business and opening up new vistas for sale. Collaborative accounting makes use of the Internet and latest technology to function irrespective of the location. For instance, the accountants can access client transactions and modify them if necessary by making use of cloud software. They can then inform about it to their clients by using different available chat platforms. This is being termed as the future of this field.

Accountants will turn into consultants

The working module is going to witness a huge change. Instead of paying your accountant on an hourly basis, flexible options will come into the picture. Apart from advice on tax deduction, accountants will be able to give you an outlook and suggestions on how to cut down your tax bill for the next financial year. They will become your trusted consultants who help you make your business grow exponentially.

Firms outsourcing their accounts

Many organizations are catching up with the latest trend of outsourcing their accounts department. This helps the owners to focus on their business and think of ways to boost it. It also helps in cutting expenses and guarantees that the accountant will scrutinize the reports for frauds.

Managing accounts form an important part of an organization. It keeps a check on the inflow of cash and enhances scalability of business. With new ways available to manage accounting of your firm, it has greatly reduced monotonous methods of handling records and increased lucidity in the working of an organization.

Business Consulting – Discover 4 Amazing Steps to Excel at Business Consulting

You can really make enormous amount of money online as long as you are knowledgeable in running any type of business. You can offer your expertise to those entrepreneurs who are just starting up or those who are struggling to improve their sales and revenue.

The good thing about business consulting is that you can work from the comforts of your own home. You can relay your messages, offer your expert advice, and conduct trainings using the internet or your telephone. That would mean having more time with your family or doing the things that you are deeply passionate about while you get direct control over your salary and your working hours. Sounds fun, right?

Here’s how you can make money and excel at business consulting:

1. You must be a people person. Truth be told, entrepreneurs only work with consultants who are amiable or friendly. Well, who would want to work with somebody who is difficult to deal with? As a consultant, you need to have superb social skills. You need to be comfortable talking and working with other people. You must be a team member. You must have great disposition in life, you must be open to ideas, and you must always wear a smile on your face to easily put your clients at ease.

2. Attention to details. Running a business can be sometimes tricky. You skip or miss one important element, your business will come crashing down. That is why, it is very important that you pay attention even to the smallest details that can have direct impact on the success of a business.

3. Be willing to do overtime. There are just some times that you need to extend your working hours depending on the assistance that your clients require from you. If you intend to make it big in this field, you need to leave a lasting impression to each person that sign up to your service. Go out of your way to make sure that everything they need is covered. At times, this may mean working for longer hours.

4. Increase your knowledge. Obviously, entrepreneurs will most likely to rely on your expertise. Thus, it is a must that you always have answers to their questions. Widen your knowledge on your chosen field by doing research on a regular basis. Work together with other industry leaders and if needed, get first-hand experience on the things that are relevant to your consulting business. The more you increase your knowledge, the better business consultant you’ll become.

Business Coaching and Business Consulting – What’s the Difference and What’s the Outlook?

Business coaching and business consulting are two of my primary services. What’s the difference, you ask? Wikipedia defines as, “Business coaching is the practice of providing support and occasional advice to an individual or group in order to help them recognize ways in which they can improve the effectiveness of their business.” BNET defines Business Consulting as “an expert in a specialized field brought in to provide independent professional advice to an organization on some aspect of its activities”.

It may seem like a small difference, but it is an important one. The critical issue is to identify what your business actually needs.

If you need: ongoing help with reaching max potential, someone to confirm your decisions, cheer you on, a transformational relationship with a mentor…you are looking for business coaching.

If you need: situational help with a specific problem, to call in an “expert” for advice, an analysis and recommended remedy…you are looking for a business consultant.

Yes, those definitions are a bit oversimplified and quite often there will be crossover. I suggest you create specific definitions for your business and its needs ahead of time. In the long run, it will help you make stronger decisions about hiring a contractor for coaching/consulting services.

If you are thinking of opening a consulting business, particularly in Portland, OR, here’s some recent research:

Although economic times are challenging in general, Portland has a positive outlook. Greenlight Greater Portland recently released a report indicating that the metro area would add 100,000 new jobs in 2008 and is predicted to grow economically by 29% or $14 million dollars.

Several growth sectors were also identified: professional, financial and information services, as well as construction and natural resources. It is predicted that Portland’s professional and business services sector will grow 23 percent to more than 170,000 workers by 2013.

In addition, the American Management Association (www.workforce.com) recently released a report with positive findings for job growth in the business consulting/ coaching field.

Among the findings were:

  • Business coaching is more popular than ever, boosted by companies struggling to develop a new generation of leaders to replace retiring baby boomers, and due to a proliferation of business coaches and coaching training programs.
  • Of U.S. companies surveyed, 52 percent said they had business coaching programs in place, and another 37 percent said they would be implementing coaching programs in the future.
  • Companies use coaches to work with executives, high-potential employees, problem managers and expatriates headed to overseas assignments.
  • Companies that use formal metrics to measure performance of coaching programs are most likely to report that those endeavors are successful.

According to both local and national sources, it is a good time to be in coaching/consulting. If you are interested in starting your own business, I recommend sitting down with a consultant and talking to them about what it is like in your neck of the woods..

What is the Secret to Building a $100M Consulting Practice?

Imagine if you were no longer threatened by consulting commoditization and the resulting loss of firm revenues. What if you could leverage technology in a way that would increase your profit margins and open doors of unlimited add-on consulting opportunities?

You are painfully aware that service-capability selling by a consulting organization no longer works. Clients are increasingly seeking productized consulting solutions to common business problems.

Now absorb this information: Gartner reports that the consulting organizations that will ultimately survive in the future will be those that create standard, repeatable consulting services.

What then, is the secret to building a thriving consulting practice in the face of commoditization?

1. Do This to Stand Out in a Commoditized Crowd
Al Ries, author of The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding observed that most professional service firms are good at generating prospects, but not at branding. The key is not what you do (the commodity) but the way you do it (your brand).

Just imagine what would happen if you productized your common business services and then competed on the merits of your brand.

2. Do This to Profit From Commoditization
You probably already know this, but productizing services with pre-defined project plans not only accelerates project completion but also increases firm profit margins.

Think of how many of your current services could be pre-defined and delivered as a solution package. What affect would that have on your profit margins?

3. Do This to Move Beyond Commoditization
Most experts agree that it costs 6-12 times more to acquire a new customer, than it is to expand your offering into existing customers.

Can you imagine the doors of add-on opportunities that will open to you as you successfully deliver a productized commodity service?

Now for the best news of all: productizing your services couldn’t be easier. Software technology exists that allows firms to quickly productize services with project plans, resource plans, billable hours and even client collaboration.

But be sure to select a software partner that provides:

1. ASP software (the last thing you need is technology hassles)

2. Cross-platform software (you need a solution that fits in any environment)

3. Customization (you are the business expert, not them)

4. Commissions (you should be making money with their software)

Learn more about wining the commodity game; get your free copy of the guide “3 Steps to Build a $100M Consulting Firm” at [http://www.attask.com/partner/consult-signup.html]

Frightened of Asbestos? Take the Services of Asbestos Consultants to Hit the Problem

Twenty to thirty years ago the term ‘asbestos’ was not common among the people. They were not aware about the harmful effects of this fibrous material that can cause lung cancer or breathing disorders in the human respiratory system. Asbestos is a toxic mineral that is used in building materials and vehicle brakes to get resistance from the corrosion and heat. Inhaling of this mineral can cause asbestosis disease that can even lead to the death.

Those workers who work in the brake and clutch repairs, or in construction industry are at the higher level of risk for catching such hazardous diseases caused by asbestos. Fibers of asbestos are very small which can’t be seen by the naked eyes. People are required to take safety measures to escape from the harmful health problems.

Earlier, asbestos was considered as an ideal material for constructing the buildings. Most of the buildings that were built in the time period of 1980-1990′s are containing asbestos. So, it is required to remove this harmful product so that you can keep yourself safe and healthy. However it is never suggested to remove the asbestos from your home with your own efforts. The reason behind it is that you can can catch some of the fibers as they are very thin and it will cause serious health disorders in your body.

There are particularly trained consultants for the removal of asbestos from residential or commercial buildings. It is advised to take the help of these asbestos consultants because they give special services and advices for all the problems related to the asbestos removal. Asbestos consultants make you aware and provides the information on identification symptoms, preparing work area for the removal and proper cleaning of this toxic material.

Asbestos consultants also provides the assistance for government laws that are connected with the industries that are using asbestos containing material. Asbestos consultants help you in determining the safe processes to work with asbestos. Asbestos consultants also inform that how much percentage of asbestos is present in your residential or commercial building. They perform a test and check the status of the asbestos, to estimate the extent of health dangers for the people who are living or working in the building.